Lifelong Learning of Instructional Design and Educational Technology Professionals: a Heutagogical Approach

Lifelong learning is an important but often implicit part of the job for instructional designers and educational technologists (ID/ETs). While literature discusses improving on-the-job learning experiences of others, relatively little has been written on the lifelong learning practices of ID/ETs. We interviewed 31 professionals to explore ID/ETs' attitudes towards lifelong learning, motivation for seeking learning opportunities, and learning approaches. The Constant Comparative Method for Naturalistic Inquiry was used to analyze the transcripts. As predicted by heutagogy, the study of self-determined learning, participants demonstrated traits of capable learners who view learning as part of their job and use a range of approaches to plan and continuously reflect on their learning. We recommend that employers promote self-determined learning practices within their organization, and that educators prepare students to be self-determined learners. We further recommend that academia, practitioners, and students contribute to repositories of resources and examples to learn from each other.